It Was Fate
by MarshWolffe
Summary: (Hiatus) Areena heads out with The Company to help them reclaim their home of Erebor while evading death, discovering a power hidden within her, and finding love along the way. Rated M for some language and scenes later on.
1. In The Beginning

**_Chapter One_**

Thunder crashed and lightning struck drowning out the sound of pounding horse hooves on the muddy ground and the howl of beasts that hastened after the riders, who rode at a flat out gallop. The female rider glanced back at the creatures tailing them. Her bright blue eyes fell on the wolf like beast. Astride it was an creature more ugly than its mount. Jagged teeth and blue black skin with pointed ears adorned its features. The woman returned her sight to the path before she and her husband who rode in front of her. She clutched a small bundle wrapped in rain soaked wool and tried to keep the small child as calm as she possibly could, but to no avail. The pace they were going and everything else was too much for the small babe.

The horses were tiring and began to slow. '_No.'_ she thought as the beasts began to catch up to them. Pulling on the reins her husband slowed to a stop and jumped from his pony with his battle axe. The woman halted, "Gamil, what are you doing we must run!" she screamed over the storm that rattled the sky. Gamil turned to look at his beautiful wife and child. Sadness and fear reached out through them. He jogged over to the black and white stallion that held the loves of his life and reached up to hold his wife's hand.

"Bellethiel, you must go! Take Areena and get as far away from here as possible! I will hold them back for as long as I can," he said giving her hand a squeeze that did not reassure her the way he had hopped. The wolf like creatures were close now and their crashing through the bushes could be heard clearly. Tears welled in Bellethiel's eyes and gave him a pleading look that said "_Don't leave me."_ Gamil turned from his family and raised his axe and got into a battle stance. "GO! Save our child!" Bellethiel hesitated but turned her horse and galloped on praying that her husband would see them once again.

It seemed as though Bellethiel had been galloping for hours and there had been no sign of the warg riders from before, but on she galloped. _'Maybe Gamil did it, maybe he be-'_ her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of cracking brush and guttural warg howls. Tears slide down her face and blended with the rain and in that moment she knew her beloved was lost to her.

While lost in thought and despair she had not noticed an orc riding along side her and paid the price for it. The orc struck the horse beneath her, killing it instantly. Bellethiel tucked and landed on her back shielding Areena from the fall. She was certain that she's broken many things as she had hit a rock. She got to her feet, adrenalin and fear helping with the pain and she ran. She had no idea where she was headed. All she knew was that she needed to get away. She ducked an arrow that nearly struck her in the head.

Zigging and Zagging through the trees she had stopped paying attention and soon came to the cliff of a waterfall and she skidded to a stop. "Give us the infant witch," the lead orc demanded.

"I will never give my child to you, you disgusting orc."

"Why not? You gave us your husband, what's one more body?" Bellethiel gasped. So it was true, Gamil was dead and she would never see him again. She stepped back to the edge of the cliff, whispered something to her sweet little girl and jumped. She saw the orcs look over the side of the cliff at her as she free fell into the pool below. It was like hitting stone. It hurt so much everything went black and she drifted downstream.

Sun shone through the branches of the tall oak trees above the slow flowing river as a man with a tall pointy gray hat brought his horse to the banking for water. He gasped at the sight before him. Washed up on the bank was a woman with silver blonde hair that was caked with mud and blood. Next to her was a small woolen bundle. He looked inside and found a small auburn haired baby girl. The blonde woman stirred managing to lift her head just enough to see the old man with her baby. She coughed and smiled, "Please...please take my Areena somewhere safe," she rasped out with a small sad smile on her lips. The man nodded.

"Of course my dear."

"Thank you..." she whispered as a lone tear ran down her blood caked cheek. She lay her head back onto the bank and passed. The gray-bearded man looked back to the squirming bundle in his arms who was reaching up at him miraculously unharmed.

"Well it's nice to meet you Areena, I am Gandalf," he said smiling a little at the baby girl. "It looks as though you're coming home with me little one." Grabbing his spare cloak he re-wrapped the girl in it and removed the soaked one. Laying her safely in a bit of soft dry grass, Gandalf went back and pulled the baby's mother to shore not wanting to leave her in the river. He buried her and said a small farewell. "Come Areena, home we go."


	2. Areena

**_Chapter Two_**

_Twenty-Four Years Later_

The stars shown brightly on this warm summers night. The moon casting its cool white glow on the inhabitants below. Just outside the Shire was a small camp with a brightly blazing fire. Areena had spent most the day scrounging up kindling for it, and now she was enjoying the feel of comfort it gave her. Her sapphire eyes watched the flames flicker and dance across the logs and stone. Areena wasn't a very tall woman. She was five foot nothing, though she would tell you she was five foot one and curse you if you told her otherwise. Her hair was a wild mass of auburn curls when not bound in a single braid like she liked to keep it. 'A pain in the neck' she would call it. Though Gandalf had said many times that it was pretty just the way it was, she longed for something a bit more manageable.

Areena stood and brushed off her tan trousers and dark green tunic when she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her. She reached for the knife in her right knee high brown leather boot. A giant black wolf came jogging into view and she gave a sigh of relief and sheathed the boot knife. "There you are Baran! I was just about to call for you," she said scratching behind one of his ears. "It's late and it is time for bed you silly thing. Did you manage to catch any dinner while you were out hunting?" Baran lowered his head and gave a small whine as if to say he had been unsuccessful. "Aah well, here you go luv," Areena replied as she tossed him a piece of the preserved meat she'd been saving in a chest Gandalf had brought her on one of his visits.

Baran caught the meat and gulped it down. Areena went to lay down inside her leather tent and patted the spot above her bedroll for her furry friend to lay down. With a large yawn the wolf walked over and plopped down as the red headed woman laid her head against his soft fur. "Good night my friend. Tomorrow is going to be a good day for us. I just know it," she said and was out as soon as her eyes were shut.

The next morning Areena began to stir and felt that her head was no longer on her warm furry black pillow. She opened her eyes and sat up wondering where Baran had wandered off to. She heard a small chuckle and the sound of panting and crawled out of her tent. She laughed at the sight before her. On the ground just beyond the fire pit was Gandalf and Baran, who had the wizard pinned to the ground while licking his face and wagging his enormous tail. "Ah! Good morning," laughed her guardian. "Good of you to join us finally."

"Sorry Gandalf I was sleeping," Areena laughed in amusement and called Baran off. "You know very well that you could have woken me."

"Yes, well. I would have if it weren't for our furry friend here," the wizard said motioning to the ecstatic wolf still wagging his tail with the force of a hurricane. Areena laughed once again and began to cook some breakfast for them.

"So...what business brings you out all this way?"

"Do I need a reason to visit my favorite person?" Gandalf asked in mock offence. She gave him a look that said, 'Don't you always?' The wizard puffed on his pipe and coughed, knowing he'd been caught. "Well, alright..."he paused as she served breakfast muttering a small thank you as he began to eat. " I did actually come here for another reason other than to see you."

"I knew it. What do you need help with this time?"

"Well...I was rather hoping that you would like to go on an adventure.." his eyes sparkled as he looked at her face to gauge a reaction. Areena was surprised that the request wasn't something silly like, travel to Isengard and tell Saurman that he wouldn't be attending that meeting or something to that effect.

"An adventure? Of what kind?" she asked narrowing her blue eyes suspiciously at the man who had raised her.

"Well I was hoping that you would come to Bag End and see for yourself. The meeting will be held at the home of Bilbo Baggins and will start at around eight o'clock tomorrow night." Areena opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted. "Just...think on it. Please? The company could use someone of your skill to make it to where they're going." She thought for a moment and nodded.

"Alright Gandalf. I will think on it." A look of relief crossed his face which made her jump up. "Hey I didn't say I would come! Just that I would be thinking about it, alright?" She said wagging her finger at him. Gandalf chuckled.

"Yes, yes. I understand completely. But my dear Areena I must take my leave and pay a visit to the young Master Baggins." Her eyes widened.

"You mean you haven't told the poor thing he'll be hosting this...whatever this is?" His blue eyes sparkled mischievously at his adoptive daughter. She sighed heavily shaking her head at the old man and laughed a little. Gandalf bent and said goodbye to Baran, planted a small kiss on Areena's forehead and without another word left for Bag End. Baran looked up at his owner and nudged her hand with his nose. Areena looked down at him. "Well...should we go?"


	3. That's What Bilbo Baggins Hates

**_AN:_****Hey Everyone! Thank you for being so patient with me and my updates. This chapter towards the end gave me some serious writers block. If anyone notices any misspelled words or bad grammar please PM me so that I can fix them. It's hard to catch your own mistakes sometimes. Thank you so much for reading!**

**~Wolffe**

**_Chapter Three_**

**_That's What Bilbo Baggins Hates_**

A gasp flew out of Areena when she sat up in her tent abruptly awakening from a deep sleep, her hair a giant tangled mess from sleeping without her braid in. "Damn it!" She tumbled out of the tent and attempted to brush and braid her waist length hair at the same time swearing all the while. Baran sat watching his master running about the camp. "He didn't tell me where this Baggins lived Baran, and to top it off..." she threw her hands up in disbelief, letting them fall back to her sides with an audible slap. "We woke up late!" The wolf's tongue hung out of his mouth as he panted. It was almost like he was laughing at her. Areena gave the giant wolf a scowl and continued bustling about gathering her things, tucking in her loose black shirt, and falling over while trying to put her boots on. After what seemed like an eternity she was ready to go.

It was dark by the time Areena knocked on the round green door of the hobbit she'd been told would be hosting the get together. A man with red-blond hair opened the door. His eyes went wide and gave a small whimper at the sight of the black beast behind her. That was most people's reactions to Baran. He was bigger than most of the wolves she had encountered while living out in the wilds, with the tip of his ears reaching about 2 inches above her shoulders when he sat. A small smirk flitted across her lips before speaking. "Don't worry he's housebroken." Her blue eyes shone with amusement as the hobbit glanced from her back to the wolf and then back again.

"I'm sorry but, who are you?"

"Oh! Right, sorry about that. I'm Areena. The beast behind me is Baran. We were told there was to be a meeting here tonight. Am I late?" Areena chuckled inwardly at the lost and distressed look on Bilbo's face. Of all the people to be at his door, he was most definitely not expecting a woman with her giant pet wolf. She felt a little bad for him. She could already hear a bit of a ruckus inside his home. In some sort of acceptance, Bilbo stepped aside and let her in. Giving him a quick nod of thanks, she and Baran stepped into the home.

It was very warm and cozy looking inside. Areena slipped her dark brown hide cloak from her shoulders and hung it up where she saw a small pile starting to form. Her eyes roamed around the room for a moment before she walked towards the room where she heard chatter and the scraping of table legs. Just as she was about to clear her throat to get their attention, Baran gave a great yawn that ended on a small whine. Everything went silent and all eyes were on her. There were four dwarves staring right at her and Baran. One with a white beard and hair, one with an interestingly shaped dark brown beard, and two younger ones. '_Well...this is awkward_' she thought as another knock came at the door.

Areena heard Bilbo walk briskly to his entryway telling who ever it was to go away. Her blue eyes whirled on her wolf. "Thanks Baran." She rolled her eyes as she heard the grunts and groans from the hall where the hobbit stood. Leaning her head around the corner she saw a few more dwarves piled on top of each other, and there standing behind them leaning down to look in was none other than Gandalf the Gray. Stepping into the entryway, a smile crept across the wizards face when his eyes fell on the woman standing there awkwardly.

"Ah. Areena, so you decided to come after all."

"Oh like you didn't know already," she replied hugging him. Understanding fell on Bilbo's face as he watched every one piling into his house. Gandalf, he was the reason all these dwarves and this woman were here. Feeling a bit more at ease, Areena followed the wizard into the room with the table and chairs. Taking a seat, she waited for everyone to sit which took a few minutes as they seemed to be emptying the pantry of everything but the wood it had been made of. Everything edible seemed to find its way to the table including ale, much to Areena's delight. '_Maybe it'll calm my nerves,_' bringing the tankard to her lips she took a sip as one of the younger dwarves tapped her on the shoulder.

"And who might you be gorgeous?" He had dark brown shoulder length hair and stubble that adorned his face. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Areena," she offered her hand in greeting. Taking it, his smile got wider and he introduced himself.

"Kili." She smiled and looked back around the table at the rest of the company sitting around it. The blond dwarf was now on top of the table walking along passing out more ale. Once at the end of the table he hopped down and took his seat next to Kili.

"Ale on the count of three!"

"1, 2, 3 UP!" In unison they all started to gulp and spill the ale down their fronts. Not wanting to look like a stick in the mud, Areena herself began to chug her own ale. They all set their tankards on the table roughly as one of them burped a bit, laughing when another one on the end let out a great belch. Areena was smiling ear to ear at them all. They seemed like such fun fellows and she had opened her mouth to tell them so when out of nowhere a belch so loud it could have shaken the earth erupted from her. Her eyes grew wide and she clasped her hands over her mouth in shock as she looked around the table. Everyone was silent.

"Excuse me," she squeaked out. Laughter roared through the hall they sat in and some of them patted her on the back, congratulating her on her boisterous belch. Gandalf just rolled his eyes at the company surrounding him and got up to go into the kitchen after Bilbo who seemed disgusted and distressed. While Bilbo and Gandalf chatted about them being in his house, Areena had been introduced to the rest of the men sitting around the table. Kili and his brother Fili seemed rather keen on getting to know the woman with the giant wolf. They got up to start cleaning the table off when Ori asked Bilbo what he should do with his plate. Fili took it and were tossed it to Kili who then threw it to Bifur in the kitchen and it continued as more dished started flying in their direction.

"Excuse me...that's my mother's West Farthing pottery, It's over one hundred years old!" Bilbo shouted as more dishes we tossed and the guys at the table started to beat a rhythm with the silverware. "And could you not do that? You'll blunt them."

"Ooh. Do you hear that, lads?" Bofur said. "He said we'll blunt the knives." From the other room Areena heard Kili start to sing and soon everyone had joined in the song.

_Blunt the knives and bend the forks!  
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!  
Chip the glasses and crack the plates!  
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates_

_Cut the cloth and trail on the fat!  
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!  
Pour the milk on the pantry floor!  
Splash the wine on every door!_

_Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;  
Pound them up with a thumping pole;  
And when you've finished, if any are whole,  
Send them down the hall to roll!_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates_

By the time the song had ended everyone was laughing including Areena, when there was a pounding on Bilbo's front door. "He is here." Gandalf rose from where he had sat in the kitchen and opened the door. Just on the other side of the door was a very serious looking dwarf. His long black hair and his well trimmed beard made him look very regal, cocking an eyebrow and giving a small smirk to the wizard as he walked in.

"Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice." Areena had to stifle a giggle as she remembered her own trouble finding the place. She ended up stopping and asking for directions at least 3 times before she found it. "I wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door," he said undoing the buckle clasp on his cloak before removing it. Gandalf closed the door as Bilbo stepped into view.

"Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago."

"There is a mark on the door. I put it there myself." Gandalf retorted. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company: Thorin Oakenshield." Thorin looked over Bilbo as they were introduced and started to criticize him. Areena's face got hot and her brows furrowed and her temper flared a little. '_Ass,_' she spat in thought. '_Getting along with this one may be more difficult than I thought._' Areena didn't do well with that kind of thing. Call it a pet peeve if you will. She cleared her throat and stroked Baran's fur to try to keep herself calm. She didn't need to be saying anything she would later regret. Thorin looked around for the source of the female noise, his eyes falling onto the small sapphire-eyed woman and the enormous black wolf beside her.

She stared at him with an arched brow and her blue eyes looking at him, unimpressed. "And who might you be?" inquired Thorin. Gandalf intervened, answering the question before his adoptive daughter let loose her tongue.

"This, Thorin Oakenshield, is Areena. She is the potential fifteenth member of our company." Thorin's brow rose as he looked her over, shrugged, and walked into the room with the table to sit and eat, ignoring Areena entirely. Areena's jaw nearly hit the floor. He didn't even bother to give her any more thought after the initial question.

"Gandalf." The wizard looked around at her. "Seriously? If I go on this trip, am I going to have to deal with prickle puss' attitude the whole time?"

"Only if your attitude stays in its current condition, Areena"

"What? How is this up to me? He's the one being rude and pompous." Without another word, Gandalf gave her a look and walked into the other room to sit and chat with the newest addition to the house.


	4. Getting Off on the Right Foot

**_AN: Hello everyone! I am so sorry I haven't posted/written in months. I am a terrible author V_V I have been so busy with work and planning my wedding I haven't had much time to sit down and be creative or to really even breathe. It's been crazy. BUT I recently changed my availability for both my jobs so that I have 2 days a week to myself. So hopefully that means I will be able to crank out some more chapters for y'all! I really hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

**_~Wolffe_**

**_Chapter Four:_**

**_Getting Off on the Right Foot_**

Areena tossed and turned on the small lumpy couch she had claimed as her own to get some rest on for the night. She thought about the discussion and about what was to happen on this journey. The chat didn't go quite as planned, to say the very least. There was a lot of arguing and yelling with a little melancholy thrown into the mix as well. At one point Bofur found it necessary to tease Bilbo about the dragon, at which point he fainted and smacked his head of the wood floor. Shaking her head with a large sigh Areena had laughed a little under her breath. She had to admit, some of the dwarves had a point…Bilbo didn't exactly seem to be "burglar" material. After he had come to he had refused to come along and didn't sign the contract. It seemed a shame really. Areena had signed the contract and left the room bidding them all goodnight as the dwarves made their way to the living room.

Humming began to float through the air causing Areenas blue eyes to open slowly as she listened. She stood and went to the doorway to watch them sing. The song was filled with such sadness it broke Areena's heart. Her eyes locked with the dwarf king's and her heart shattered all over again. In that moment all she wanted to do was run over to the stubbornly proud man and gather him into a hug to tell him everything was going to work out and be alright in the end. Obviously she wasn't about to actually do that, so instead she smiled as reassuringly as possible, bowed her head, and left the room to try to sleep. Their journey would be a long one. Thorin stared at the now vacant archway where the small redhead had been standing. She'd surprised him with the show of sympathy and respect she had just given to him. _'Curious,'_ he thought.

_Areena laid in the grass of a field somewhere in the plains just beyond Mirkwood. The sky was a beautiful blue and not a cloud was in the sky. With her hands behind her head she sighed contentedly. Then her nose crinkled as a foul smell slithered through the air. Sitting up she turned her head to the south east….towards Mordor. She stood and covered her nose and mouth to keep from breathing in the sulfuric smell. The sky was beginning to darken with smoke and a red-orange glow emitted from the mountain within the borders. The wind began to pick up swirling around her sending her loose hair flying about her face. A growling was heard just beyond her line of sight into the forest and a panic started growing in Areena's heart. She bolted sprinting over the plains barefoot, away from the forest. The growling got louder the farther she ran. Chancing a glance behind her, Areena lost her footing and tumbled into the dirt. Turning over to gaze at the warg that now stalked towards her._

_Areena felt herself being yanked up to stand and was spun around. Two sets of sapphire eyes met and for a moment the redhead was stunned. The Woman that stood before her was the most beautiful being she had ever seen. Her silver blond hair flowed in the wind never seeming to be out of place even in the gusts that pushed and shoved around them. She was tall and wearing a silver dress, seemingly made of the finest material known to Middle Earth. Areena's eye flicked up to the woman's ears to see they were pointed. '_That figures,_' she thought to herself. No one who wasn't an elf could be this beautiful, in her opinion. The she-elf looked down on the much smaller woman and gave a small smile. Fear and concern were pouring from the elf's eye like the falls on the river by the Argonath. "Run, Areena." She whispered in panic. "He will be coming for you, my daughter." _

Areena sprung up from her sleep and looked around wide-eyed. She was still at Bilbo's house on his couch. She clutched at her rapidly beating heart and closed her eyes trying will it to slow when a hand rested on her shoulder. Still in survival mode Areena grabbed the hand and arm attached to it and hip tossed her "assailant" to the ground. Her face drained of all color and her eyes grew wider than they already were. On the floor, arm twisted uncomfortably, with a knee between his shoulder blades was none other than the dwarf king himself. Practically flinging herself off of Thorin, the redhead began apologizing profusely. "Thorin, I am so sorry! I'd just woken from a nightmare and you startled me. Gods I'm sorry! Please forgive me. Are you alright? Did I hurt your arm? Oh my goodness…I am so sorry." Amidst Areena's rambling apology Thorin had righted himself and was standing in front of Areena with his arms crossed over his chest. On the outside the man looked indifferent, but on the inside he was actually pretty impressed with her little show of ability and strength. Finally Thorin held up his hand to stop the woman from going on any father with her apology.

"It is alright Areena. I should have made my presence better known to you before touching you. I had heard your fitful slumber and had come over to see if you were alright." The look on Areena's face was priceless. Of all the things that she thought he would have done, this was not one of them. Get angry with her? Yes. Scream and shout while pouting about how she basically tossed him like a ragdoll? Absolutely, but to apologize and basically claim that he was in the wrong…well color her impressed. _'Well maybe he isn't as much of an ass as I thought him to be.'_ Areena recovered from her shock and awe and crossed her arms in front of her as well, feeling a bit vulnerable.

"Oh…well um. Thank you for apologizing. Though, I am still sorry about the hip toss." Her cheeks flushed crimson, seemingly darker in the early morning light. Judging by the amount of light in the sky it was probably about five O'clock in the morning. Thorin smirked a little at the blush on her face and took a step forward.

"Well, I'm glad to see you've recovered from your nightmare. I will start rousing the others. We begin our journey to the Lonely Mountain in one hour."

**_An: And there you have it folks! Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it….I know there isn't a whole lot going on here and to be honest I'm not completely happy with it but I feel like this is about as good as this chapter is going to get and I just wanted to get something out for you. Hopefully I wont have as much trouble with the next chapter. Hope you're having an amazing day!_**

**_~Wolffe_**


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